Is a new ice age coming in Europe? Reality or just a movie?

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jupath

#101580 Fri, 20 May 05 09:06 PM

I’ve just read a study about the Gulf Stream by British scientists. According to this, in the north Atlantic ocean the sinking of cold water, which is the main engine of the Gulf Stream, is getting slower and slower. If it ceased its working, the Gulf Stream would be stoped as well. Without this stream British Islands would be as cold as Newfoundland which is in the same latitude. It means that the average temperature of the UK and Ireland would become colder by about 8 degrees. This process might take a century or even a few decades. What do you think it's a real danger even in our life? What could we do against this? I mean, it’s probably caused by global warming, what could we do against this phenomenon? What is going to get our world like?

It was the story of The Day after Tomorrow movie. Anyway, reality or just a movie?

jupath

Joined on Sun, May 15 2005

Hungary

Junior Member (78)

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Xavier

#101608 Sat, 21 May 05 12:22 AM

The theory is that warm water from the gulf stream replaces cold arctic water which flows back to the equator at a deep level, because cold water is denser(heavier) than warm. The result being the British Isles are warmer than they should be. BUT global warming is causing the Greenland ice sheet to melt at an unprecedented rate and huge volumes of fresh water are spilling into the arctic waters. Fresh water is less dense than sea water and may soon disrupt the Gulf stream flow. There is evidence from (I think) ice core samples that this change has happened in the past and very abruptly, triggering mini-ice ages. I'm very glad I live in the south of France.

Xavier

Joined on Sun, Mar 13 2005

France 11

New Member (30)

jupath

#101796 Sat, 21 May 05 09:06 PM

According to scientists, the last mini-ice age was in the 14. century when the average temperature was colder by 2-3 degrees than now. Since then the average temperature of the world has been getting higher and higher and due to The Industrial Revlolution it's been soaring over the last two centuries. Studies say that it’s a normal process to vary colder and warmer periods in the life of our Earth. But, I reckon, the main problem is that the mankind is accelerating this process and meanwhile Europe is getting colder the other parts of the world are getting warmer. I hope our leaders are going to realise what they have to do. So I have confidence in the future.

By the way south of France is a very nice place, Xavier!

jupath

Tracy

#101857 Sun, 22 May 05 07:47 AM

people on the earth should try our best to take care of the world.
or else, it will be true.

Tracy

Joined on Sat, May 15 2004

Full Member (134)

rwiles

#103404 Fri, 27 May 05 12:39 PM

For a really interesting insight into this topic I genuinely suggest you read Michael Crichton's new 'novel' State of Fear. It's a very easy read and incredibly thought provoking. I assure you, after reading it you will think about the environment in a totally different way!

rwiles

Joined on Thu, May 26 2005

Live in England work in Germany

Full Member (144)

Gott weiß ich will kein Engel sein

Anonymous

#141059 Fri, 23 Sep 05 05:32 PM

The previous ice ages were caused by shifts in the Earth's orbit, and the angle in which the Earth presents itself to the Sun, i.e. when the Northern Hemesphere is shifted to be further from the Sun, temperature drops, causing ice ages. The ice ages themselves then end when the Earth's orbit shifts again. Surely all this stuff about global warming causing ice ages cannot be completely true in the sense that it will cover Europe in an ice sheet. Although the Greenland ice sheet is melting, which in turn will make the United Kingdom colder (by forcing the Gulf Stream's warm water down) as a result of global warming, this does not account for the rest of the world. What I'm saying is, if the Earth can shift enough to plunge Europe under a sheet of ice, then surely it can shift enough to raise temperatures worldwide by a mere 2 to 3 degrees?!

Anonymous

#165270 Fri, 02 Dec 05 01:03 PM

Owing to the precession of the equinoxes and the Earth's elliptical orbit a recurrence of Ice Ages is possible about every 25000 years. At present the sun is closest to us in the northern hemisphere in January as we are then in perihelion, I think roughly 3 million- not insignificant in the overall average distance of about 90 million miles. One has to consider that when in perihelion the Earth travels slightly faster (slingshot effect) , and in aphelion slower. In theory our summers should be cooler over a longer period even if our winters are not as cold as they might be. Because the northern hemisphere has more landmass and because the polar ice is still in existence the potential for cooling is relatively greater than in the southern hemisphere. So, as we are in perihelion, it could be argued that our winters are going to be warmer than average for the next few thousand years. There should be an ice age in the southern hemisphere at present but the presence of so much strongly circulating water counteracts this.Statistics tell us that everything is cyclical! Of course history has shown us that volcanic ash can also rapidly tilt the balance to produce mini ice ages. Also important is the Earth's magnetic field which may well flip quite soon. The recent Tsunami earthquake was strong enough to shift the poles by a meter or so. Continents drift at quite a remarkable rate, cosmic dust clouds exist.Of course, superimposed on all this are the results of the activities of man. Well, let us not be fatalists but seek to work in harmony with nature.

Anonymous

YoHf

#165601 Sat, 03 Dec 05 08:55 AM

It is really coming... Sad [:(]

YoHf

Joined on Wed, Oct 26 2005

Florence, Italy

Senior Member (3,345)

To be yourself is all that you can do. Music [8]